Linking upper Silurian terrestrial and marine successions—Palynological study from Skåne, Sweden

• A palynological study of upper Silurian strata from Sweden
• A total of 36 spore species belonging to 21 genera were identified in the samples.
• The sediments show to span late Ludlow (Gorstian) to Přídolí age.
• First correlation of Silurian terrestrial and marine microfossils in Baltica

We have performed a palynostratigraphic study on miospore assemblages from near-shore marine Silurian sedimentary rocks of Skåne, southern Sweden. The material includes both drillcore (from Klintaborrningen 1 and Bjärsjölagårdborrningen 2) and outcrop samples from various localities in Skåne. Well- preserved spore assemblages were identified. Long ranging species with a global distribution dominate the spore assemblages, including Ambitisporites sp., Dyadospora sp., Laevolancis sp., and Tetrahedraletes sp. and complemented with key taxa including Emphanisporites neglectus, Hispanaediscus lamontii, Hispanaediscus verrucatus, Scylaspora scripta, Synorisporites libycus and Synorisporites tripapillatus. Based on biostratigraphical schemes for early land plant spores, the studied sedimentary rocks of the cores Klintaborrningen 1 and Bjärsjölagårdborrningen 2 are interpreted as late Silurian in age, spanning Ludlow to Přídolí. The spore assemblages are compared and correlated to marine fossil schemes including those of conodonts, chitinozoans, graptolites and tentaculitids. Additionally, relative abundance data of specific spore taxa have been used for correlation between the drillcores and the outcrops.